No regrets for David

DAVID Cassidy was the archetypal teen heart-throb é a celebrity in an age when the title meant far more than a centrespread in Heat magazine. Girls fainted at the sight of him, airports were overwhelmed with the swell of transfixed teens and police ranks buckled under the pressure of adoring fans intent on snatching a glimpse of the cheeky American charmer with boy-next-door good looks.

DAVID Cassidy was the archetypal teen heart-throb é a celebrity in an age when the title meant far more than a centrespread in Heat magazine. Girls fainted at the sight of him, airports were overwhelmed with the swell of transfixed teens and police ranks buckled under the pressure of adoring fans intent on snatching a glimpse of the cheeky American charmer with boy-next-door good looks.

Thirty years on, and again bound for a rendezvous with his now mature army of English fans, Cassidy claims that his kind of celebrity no longer exists.

éToday, people are used to seeing celebrities,é he muses, coolly, during a transatlantic telephone call to announce his forthcoming Manchester show. éI couldnét go anywhere, couldnét even walk down the street.

éConsequently, for the first 20 years of my life, I never once walked through an airport. The crowds meant I had to be picked up on the runway and driven away. It was insane and, if you werenét around then, you canét imagine what it was like, because the world was a very different place.

éThe hysteria and the kind of madness that was there for me no longer exists. There were no videos, there were no DVDS, there was no internet and the audience was very naéve. I think when they saw you live, they couldnét really believe that you were real.é

Those too young to recall Cassidyés show-stopping personal appearances would be best-served thinking of him as an actor-cum-singer with double the appeal of David Beckham, and the Beatles-esque power to make women wilt.

His fame stemmed from the fact that he was the most desirable member of the Partridge Family, a mythical clan who occupied a schmaltzy prime-time slot on seventies TV.

He capitalised on his screen fame, with pop hit after pop hit, the most famous being singles like I Think I Love You and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, and now supplements his musical performances with an equally succesful role as an impressario.

Those old enough to remember the screaming and flag-waving are in for something of a treat when Cassidy returns once again to the shores where thousands would mob the man they knew better as Keith Partridge.

In something of a first he is sharing a stage with acts who rivalled his allure among seventies teens. Les McKeownés Bay City Rollers and David Essex are also on the bill.

éI feel quite excited about it because I have never performed in my entire career with another act, so it will be an interesting one,é he adds.

But there is some bad news for Cassidyés loyal army of fans: he doesnét plan to stick around for long this time, preferring to spend as much time as possible with his 14-year-old son, Beau.

éMy intention was to try to reach the largest number of fans in the least amount of time and to be away from home for the shortest length of time. Thatés because of family,é he adds.

éI am somebody who has long since had my son follow me all over the planet. And my son said to me: éDad, how long are you going to be doing thisé.

éAnd I said éI donét know. I havenét really given any thought to when I might hang up my guns. And he said éwill you just not go for more than a week or soé. And I said éyesé. You know, heés 14 now and ités time for me to balance my life. I donét want to spend so much time outside the United States.

éI want to spend more time with Beau é ités a mutual thing. My dad was an actor and he was constantly gone.é

Would he wish a similar life for his son? éI want him to have his own path,é he adds. éI donét advise him to follow in my footsteps. My father instilled in me a great work ethic. He doesnét want to be famous, he wants to be successful and he wants to do the work. Youéve got to feed your own soul and follow his own path. Heés not interested in being me.é

Nor does he appear to regret the mistakes he made along the way é including the expensive excesses of what are most kindly referred to as his rock éné roll years.

éItés never been about the money, although, when you donét have it, ités a great leveller. It keeps you from being complacent if youéve had millions and millions of dollars stolen from you or squanderedé in my case both.

éIt just served as a leveller. I just know that I was fortunate enough to do something early on which had a great impact on people and that those people have supported me through the rest of my work.

Summing up, he says: éIém very happy. I have been able to do what very few people on the face of the planet have done é to be an artist, writer, character in TV shows, songwriter and performer. Ités because I love the work and I have been very fortunate that people care about me to come and see.

éThe difficulty is when you become a star and you just rely upon your fame and the character you are identified with. Thatés a one way street. You can never get off that train. So for me, I have persevered through the difficult times.

"I have no regrets. Iém glad that I have done all that I have done, because Iém here. If Iéd have taken a left turn instead of a right turn, or a right turn instead of a left, who knows where I would have ended up. I am a very content and happy guy, now. I have a lot to be thankful for.é

David Cassidy plays the MEN Arena on Thursday, June 23. To book, call 0870 060 1768 or visit the website below.